Dantooine, remote sector
Bastila's eyes slowly rose from darkness. Her eyelids were heavy as pain suddenly urched every inch of her body. She groaned as she tried to lift a simple finger, pain shooting across her entire body. Slowly her eyes regain their vision, finding herself in the interior of a contained, metal, escape pod.
"What...happened?" Bastila murmured to herself. As she places a hand over her head, her head spun, as if it was split or injured in a way yet all traces of such an injury were not discovered. The Jedi tried to open the hatch of the pod yet it was latched shut. With all her strength she preps her feet against the hatch and starts to kick it. Pain screamed within her legs everytime she lashed them out against the door. After the second kick, the next one forced the hatch to swing open, leading Bastila down and resting on the ground.
Her knees were met with the soft texture of grass and dirt. Her fingers kneaded within the fine stems of the long, green blades. She looks up and observes her surroundings. The plains were familiar to her, all too familiar. As she realised where the escape pod had landed, her heart beats with the rhythm of relief.
"Dantooine…" Yet as her eyes observed more closely, she realised that this was an uninhabited sector of the planet, she had no way of knowing where she was or where the Jedi Enclave was established. For all she knew, she could be on the other side of the planet. Bastila rubs her head once more and stands up wearily. Instinctively, her right hand reached out for her hip only to discover that her lightsaber was missing. It was then her senses heightened; she ignored all the pain, which resonated within her legs as she recollected the events prior to her landing on Dantooine.
"Revan…" She murmured. Her head turned around to observe the empty plains; there was no sight of the masked and hooded figure. The battle which ensued aboard the helm of Revan's flagship transpired inside Bastila's mind. Everything was recollected until the words Revan spoke was silently heard. 'Who…are you?' Everything after that was a blur, the last thing she remembered was the sudden eruption of the flagship, causing her to lose balance and collide against the hard, metallic ground of the bridge – her saber escaping the clutches of her fingers. Now was not the time to wonder about the fate of Darth Revan, the more lingering question was how she ended up in an escape pod and the most important question was what to do from here?
Slowly, Bastila reaches out to the Force, not that it was much help in her current situation – but follows her instinct and a current which flowed in the air. It was almost as if she was drawn to a certain direction she was meant to walk. Nonetheless, there was nothing else she could do. Bastila turned to the drawing direction which somehow called to her. Figuring there was no other suitable option to undergo (and realising the navigation terminal within the escape pod was completely eradicated), she stepped forward towards the empty plains of Dantooine.
The Leviathan
Admiral Karath approached the helm of the ship, the view of Darth Malak observing the wreckage of Revan's flagship came into his sight. As the Admiral approached the Sith Lord, Malak spoke to him – as if he was already aware of his presence.
"Speak, Admiral."
"My Lord, sensor droids have found zero life signs amongst Lord Rev-"
Darth Malak peered over his shoulder, snarling quietly in disapproval. Karath realised his mistake and corrected himself instantly, "…Revan's flagship."
The Sith Lord chuckled at the Admiral's adaptability and survival instincts, it amused him in a way. Slowly Malak turned to face his subordinates and proclaimed his orders.
"Admiral – prepare a broadcast to my fleet and our occupied worlds. A New Order must be announced."
"As you say, Lord Malak."
Malak waits with folded arms as the Leviathan's communications sector was preparing to broadcast a hologram of the Sith Lord to both his fleet and towards the planets, which were occupied by Revan's campaign. As the announcement droid completed it's scan of Malak – everything was prepared and set for motion. Darth Malak was ready to begin his declaration.
"Soldiers, officers, citizens of Revan's weak rule. Today, Darth Revan has perished." His tone bled with the feeling of satisfaction yet was guised with a sense of sadness and loss – all for the sakes of the citizens Malak now ruled.
"On this day, I have claimed the mantle of Dark Lord of the Sith. All Sith armadas are to amass with the Leviathan immediately, all citizens of…my Sith Empire will swear complete obedience to my authority. Those who regard themselves as loyalists to the fallen Revan will be crushed swiftly and without remorse."
Every naval attendant, officer and trooper onboard the Leviathan turned towards Malak himself or a hologram displaying his speech with awe. On the planets conquered by Revan, their citizens watched in their respective plazas and holo-terminals, the intimidating stature of their new Dark Lord. Several soldiers, officers and civilians alike – simply crossed their arms and nodded in approval of their new leader, others cursed silently and protested to themselves, in the end forced to approve of this change instead of facing prosecution.
"Under my rule, the Republic will be annihilated – my will carried out from the Outer Rim territories to the Core Worlds. From there, a new era will be ushered with me at the helm. Once more I stress. Serve me, or perish along with Revan and the Republic."
The transmission was concluded. Malak folds his arms and awaits the off-world Sith armadas to rendezvous to his position, prepared to reignite a new campaign. Admiral Karath once more approached the Dark Lord, hands behind his back before bowing to Malak.
"Dark Lord. We have received responding transmissions from the rest of Revan's fleet. They have heeded your call and are en route to our position."
"Very good Karath. Then everything is on schedule." Malak responded with a brief chuckle.
"Then our campaign against the Republic shall finally be recognised and accomplished? My Lord?"
"Not yet Admiral. The Republic may exist within the galaxy for a little bit longer, for now – I have the fleet diverted towards a more…ancient reward."
"My Lord?"
"Have you ever heard of the Infinite Empire Karath?"
The Admiral shakes his head in response, "Never in my life. The Republic and the ancient Sith who were thought to be eradicated after the Great Hyperspace War are the greatest powers within the known galaxy – at least to my understanding."
"Hmph." Malak groaned, "Their existence was unknown to me as well. That was until I travelled with Revan. During and after the Mandalorian Wars, Revan and I have discovered a plethora of forgotten and forbidden knowledge. Much of this knowledge was considered heresy amongst the fools in the Jedi Council. But much of it revealed a great, unspeakable power."
Karath listened on, attempting to understand what his new master was informing him.
"The Star Forge. A space station of unprecedented capabilities. Under my command Admiral – I will need competent leaders to lead the future of the Sith fleet."
"A space station my Lord? Unoccupied? Forgive me, but I find such a weapon unlikely."
"I do not expect you to believe in such a thing, but I assure you Admiral – it is real. It is power. It is a device which forges Empires."
"Then I am eager to aid you in the discovery of such a device."
"The discovery of the Star Forge will not prove difficult…" Malak says as he begins to head towards the exit of the command bridge, all the while – signalling with his hand for Karath to follow him. As the two leave the bridge, they make their way towards the central terminal, where Malak enters several codes into the terminal and displays a vibrant galaxy map.
"Ever since our departure from the Jedi Order, Revan and I have worked extensively to discover the ancient relics of Rakatan technology which contained maps leading to the Star Forge."
Malak notices the confusion in Karath's expression when he mentioned the unfamiliar term, 'Rakatan'.
"Minor detail." Malak assured the Admiral. "Once Revan and I have amassed the maps – I have been looking for an ample opportunity to overthrow my former master and claim the Forge's power for my own. Now that time has come, and I believe that men like you, Karath, will assist me in spearheading my vision."
"I am honoured to be held in such high regard, my Lord." Karath says with a bow.
"Now…after all this time, the pieces of the map fall in place. The location of the Star Forge revealed after nearly countless millennia." Malak inputs several more codes into the terminal – dragging the vibrant blue map closer and fixed like puzzle pieces falling into place. Suddenly, Malak stopped – groaning with a tone of voice which trembled along his machine-like growl.
"What has happened?" Karath asked.
Malak looked at the Admiral – seething with anger, before tempering his rage into mild frustration. Gradually, his growls turn into soft laughs, before ascending to a higher volume.
"Heh, ha. Ha, ha, ha!"
"Lord Malak?"
"Oh…Revan." Malak murmured with disdain. "You were always clever."
Quickly, Darth Malak turns to the Sith Admiral, "No matter, I will recover what was stolen in time. But for now…Admiral, I require a special task that I feel fitting to bestow upon your discretion."
"Yes, of course Lord Malak. What is it that you wish me to do?"
If Darth Malak could grin behind that prosthetic mouthpiece – he would, "The capture of Bastila Shan. The Jedi's last and best hope of mounting any kind of resistance towards us."
On Dantooine's peaceful, green plains – the sun was steadily being swallowed by the ocean and disappearing into the horizon. The orange, dusk sky was the only way Bastila could see the path infront of her. Well, if a 'path' was referring to an empty plain where her legs were obscured up to her knees in thick grass.
She grew hungry and began to tire. Bastila had heard tales of Jedi Masters who were able to sustain themselves from sustenance for days, no food, no drink – only them and the Force. Such an ability would've been vital for the young Padawan as of now. Alas, she was no Jedi Master – and even after years of training and merging the Jedi Code into her everyday life, the Council has not even made her a Knight. Such thoughts constantly cycled through her mind, bringing about emotions in which she would try to supress, all according to the Jedi's teachings. 'Strong emotions, always lead to the Dark Side', she would be taught. A more recent example the Council would use will always be this: 'Look at the path of Revan.'
Bastila shook these thoughts away from her mind and instead concentrated on what was infront of her. It would soon be dark; she needed shelter, a fire and food to survive the unforgiving night. To her fear, she realised that without her lightsaber she is more vulnerable, and with her injuries it would prove difficult to continue her journey. What she was hoping for was she would come across a colony of settlers who fled their homeworlds during the Mandalorian Wars; perhaps they could provide the necessities she required. Alas, this did not come to pass as the further she went, the more her surroundings seemed familiar: endless grasslands.
Her feet ached, how long had she been walking in this same direction for? This strange guidance through the Force has led her to nothing but dirt, hills and grass. If Bastila had tried to recollect how long she had been walking – she'd assume she has been travelling for hours. The Force was a fickle thing; sometimes Bastila questioned whether being Force sensitive was a privilege, or indeed a burden one must accept. Her mind pondered this statement for some time as she continued to treck across the fields before it was clouded by fatigue.
Tired.
Bastila urged her body to push forward.
Hungry.
Bastila forced herself to keep awake.
Hurting.
Bastila used every ounce of her power to keep herself standing straight, to ignore the pain and press on.
Through hindered eyesight, Bastila could see shadowy figures hidden from what was left of the sun's orange rays and obscured within the grass. This is her first sighting of what looked like sentient beings, though her sight was there – it was too obscured for the Jedi to make out whether they are settlers or rocks. Bastila sensed a great disturbance, as if something overwhelming was headed her way. Desperate and exhausted – Bastila chose to move closer to these three shadowy figures.
As she drew closer towards the shadows, she could see that they had noticed her presence and began to move towards her direction. In Bastila's heart, she felt both a presence of comfort and caution. Soon the three shadows emerged from the shadows brought about the hills and into the orange rays of the sun. The figures came clear as day into Bastila's view, her eyes looking deep into bestial, hungry and dark eyes.
"Kath hounds…" Bastila curses as she stopped advancing towards them. The quickest of the beasts hurled itself at the injured Jedi. Bastila quickly dashed to the side. The hound did not hesitate to redirect it's momentum, once more pouncing towards Bastila with jarred teeth and sharp claws. Though weak and hindered, Bastila was no stranger to unarmed combat. Bastila shifts her weight down and finds herself under the beast's belly. With two swift punches applied through Force pressure, she breaks the hound's rib cage and hinders the beast as it flew over the Jedi and riles in pain, unable to stand back up. The second Kath hound was smaller yet it's ferocity was on par with the first. The Kath hound directs it's momentum towards Bastila's legs, the Jedi pulls her leg back just enough so that her leg was not completely bitten off. As a consequence, the hound's teeth sinks into the woman's calf, gnashing and gnawing as it tries to tear the rich flesh off the Jedi's leg.
Bastila yelled in pain but composed herself enough to concentrate a fatal palm strike across the Kath hound's head, shattering its skull and freeing her leg from the hungry beast. Bastila looks down to the chomped area, several holes in the pattern of the Kath hound's jaw had been punctured through her Padawan robes, blood seeping out from these holes. Her calf was still intact – however the wounds ran deep, she could have sworn that one of the beast's teeth broke off within her leg and still sits inside her. The Jedi's adrenaline spikes up, the final Kath hound was immensely larger than the other two – horns sprouting from the side of it's head, shaded by thick, brown fur. Slowly, the hound creeps up towards the wounded Jedi – eager for the quick kill.
As the beast drew closer, Bastila couldn't help but wonder what presence she felt earlier, this level of disturbance couldn't possibly be afflicted by mere Kath hounds. That presence still lingered, and it was dangerously close. It was a familiar in a sense, faint even, yet it lingered with a strong connection to the Dark Side. This Kath hound may have been shrouded with Dark Side energy, yet Bastila didn't believe it. The Kath hound stalked closer – as did the strong Dark Side influence. As Bastila prepared herself to face the beast, the dark presence ascended to clear light. Her eyes widened, she had felt this before, and very recently. It belonged to something else, someone else.
The Kath hound lunged it's horns towards the Jedi, catching the shaken Bastila off-guard. She loses her balance, trips on her weight like a foolish novice and lands on her back, crushing the grass behind her and meeting the warm texture of dirt. The beast takes the opportunity provided and pounces ontop of her, claws emerging from it's paws and tries to scratch away at the bleeding Jedi. Bastila holds it's paws back with her hands – her Force capability was just enough to hold out against the beast's brute strength. But hunger, fatigue and loss of blood gave way to Bastila slowly losing her strength.
The Kath hound snarls and bites the air with Bastila still holding out against its paws. Eventually, her eyes feel heavy, her arms feel numb, the steady flow of her warm blood seeps beneath her robes and runs down her thigh, exhaustion paves the pathway to her death.
"This is it…" Bastila thinks to herself as she attempts to hold onto what's left of her consciousness, "Alone and isolated. Left to die in the barren lands of Dantooine."
She could feel the Kath hound's warm breath and drool splat about on her face. She couldn't hold out much longer, it's snout gradually came closer and closer, to the point where it can practically take a chunk out of her throat.
In a flash, the weight of the Kath hound was pulled away from the Jedi. Through narrowed eyes, Bastila sees the animal pulled back and fly backwards. The ignition of a lightsaber was heard, and the flying Kath hound was impaled by a crimson blade. The beast whimpered as it slowly lost its life. The red blade retracted back into the saber and the beast fell onto the lush green grass, it's body nurturing the rich soil in the years to come.
Bastila coughed. Her eyes barely holding themselves open any longer. Her ears pick up faint footsteps growing closer and closer until they stop right next to her. She rolls her grey eyes to face the side in which her saviour stood. The figure's boots came into view, through heavy lids her eyes slowly moved up. Dark robes met her eyes, a lightsaber in the hands of armoured gauntlets, familiar dark red armour with a cape attached to accompany the figure's dark robes. Finally as her eyes meet the head of her saviour, her body was reflected in the visor of the figure's Mandalorian mask, almost obscured by the hood he had over his head.
"Revan…" Bastila exclaimed with all the strength she had left – conducting into a soft, broken voice. The Dark Lord did not say a word; instead he stared at her, the winds of Dantooine carrying his cape to the breeze. His words didn't matter as of now – she expected to be dispatched of quickly with a swing of the Sith's saber instead of being feasted on by stupid beasts. She accepted this fate as her eyes grew dim, Revan's image distorting into a black blur before Bastila finally succumbed to her exhaustion.